Garment ironer



June 9, 1942.

Filed Dec. l2, 1940 J. H, LEEF GARMENT IRONER 5 sheets-sheet 1 jizz/enfui' John lnge/cr June 9, 1942. J. H. LEE-:F 2,285,990

GARMETTT IRONER Filed Deo. 12, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. H. LEEF GARMENT IRONER June 9, 1942.

Filed Deo. l2, 194D 3 Sheets-*Sheet 3 Patented June 9, 1942 UNITED STTES Parser erging l@ Claims.

My present invention relates to garment ironers and, generally stated, consists of the novel devices, combinations of devices and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and dened in the claims.

Especially the invention relates to and is in the nature of an improvement on garment ironing devices of the general character disclosed in my prior Patent No. 2,180,938 of date Nov. 21, 1939, and to patents therein identified. Garment ironing devices of this general character were especially designed and particularly adapted fer the ironing of the legs and sleeves of overalls, working shirts and the like.

In some of the prior art patents a complete leg or sleeve ironing device involved a pair of ironing boots, one of which was xed and the other of which was movable laterally in respect thereto. In such two-boot ironing devices when the boots were spread, there was left a space between the boots and in which space the ironing of the sleeve or leg of the garment would not be well pressed or, in fact, directly ironed out. To obviate that feature in another prior patent, such as that above particularly identified, one of the ironing boots or elements was made in the nature of a roller under the action of which the garment leg or arm would be caused to travel against the two ironing boots or elements.

I have now found that a much more satisfactory ironing device can be produced by employing three ironing boots or elements arranged one in xed position, a second spaced laterally from but movable toward and from the first boot or element, and a third boot or element arranged between the first and second noted boots and arranged to shift or travel laterally in the one direction into engagement with the first named boot and into the other direction into engagement with the second named boot.

These three boots or elements are made hollow and preferably heated by steam or hot air. With this improved arrangement when a garment leg or sleeve is slipped over the rst or second boot, to wit: the outside boot, the parts of the garment in direct contact with the said outside boots will `be completely and well ironed and those portions of the leg or sleeve between the outside boots will be completely and well ironed by the heat and frictional ironing contact produced by movement of the intermediate boot first toward the one and then toward the other of said outside boots. A

The preferred manner of carrying out the invention above outlined will be made clear in connection with the description of the drawings wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation showing the complete ironer designed for the simultaneous ironing of two garment legs or two garment arms;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the ironer;

Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1 but with some parts broken away and parts of the boots being shown in section, and showing a garment leg or sleeve applied to the ironing device;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is'a view corresponding to Fig. 3 but illustrating somewhat different positions of the parts;

Fig. '7 is a view chiefly in bottom plan, but with some parts sectioned on the line 'I--l of Fig. l;

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3-8 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 9 is a front or face elevation of the intermediate boots, parts being broken away and sectioned.

The various elements of the ironer are shown as mounted on a table-like top of a framework I2, preferably of cast iron, but of any other suitable form. Each complete ironing device, adapted for the ironing of one leg or sleeve, involves the upright fixed boot I3, the laterally movable outside boot Iii, and the laterally movable intermediate boot I 5. These boots are all preferably cast hollow and are arranged to be heated by steam or hot air. The movable outer boot i4 is supported for lateral and rocking movements, by a resilient link or arm I5, the lower end of which is rigidly anchored to the table-like top of frame I2 and the upper end of which is pivotally connected to boot I4 at I'I. The resilience of link I6 is such that boot I4 will be normally spaced from iixed boot I3, as shown in Fig. 1, with its lower end resting on a stop block I8 on the table top. The intermediate boot I5 is biiurcated and thereby formed with a large opening I9, see particularly Fig. 9, that clears the resilient supporting link I6 and through which the said link freely extends to support the outer movable boot l. This bifurcated intermediate boot is supported by a link or arm 2li, the upper end of which is pivoted thereto at ZI and the lower end of which is secured on a rockshaft 22 mounted in suitable bearings in the form of brackets 23 rigidly secured to or formed as a part of the table-like top of frame I2.

The group of three boots just described as stated, adapted for the ironing of one leg or sleeve; but the device, is preferably designed for the simultaneous ironing of two legs or sleeves, and hence, the said elements I3, I4 and I5, and their supporting links I6 and 25, are duplicated and the links 20, that support the two intermediate boots I5, are both rigidly secured to the rock-shaft 22. These links 20 are also preferably made of resilient metal. The rock-shaft 22, which is common to both of the intermediate boots I5, is provided with a long arm 24, the free end of which works in the bifurcatedhead 25 of the piston 25 of a fixed dash pot 2l, which latter is provided with a small restricted vent 23, best shown in Fig. 1. The freeend of arm 24 has play between the bottom of the bifurcated head 25 and a cross pin 29 that spans the upper-end of said head. On the stem of piston rod 25 is a weight 35 that tends to hold the piston down in the lower end of dash pot 2l.

Normally the intermediate boots I will be held against the boots I4 and at a maximum distance from the fixed boots I3. To Cause the boots I5 to move toward and against the cooperating fixed boots I3, various devices may be provided, but preferably and as shown, the movement is initiated by a foot treadle 3| intermediately pivoted to the base of the frame I2 at 32 with one end pivotally connected to an upright thrust rod 33 that works through a guide Slion frame I2 and is provided with a head 35 that is engageable under the weight Sil. A torsion spring 35, applied to pivotal connection 32, normally acts upon lever Si to hold thrust rod 53 depressed so that the movable parts will normally stand substantially as shown in Fig. l.

rIhe shown means for supplying steam or hot air to the interior of the several boots involves a header Si that receives the supply of steam or hot air from a pipe 38 and discharges the condensation through a drain or return pipe 35. This header Si is shown as supported on the base of frame I2.

From the header 3l pipes d5 extend upward into the interior of the Xed boots I3. From the header 3l two flexible pipes or tubes 4I extend upward and are connected to branched metal lpipes i2 which, in turn, extend upward into both branches of the two intermediate boots I5. Flexible tubes 53 extend upward from the header 3l and are connected to metal pipes M l which, in turn, extend upward into the interiors of the two boots Ill. For drainage of condensation back into the several pipes 55, 52 and M from the respective boots, said pipes may be, and preferably are, provided with small perforations 45, such as shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 9.

In Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6, a garment leg or arm applied to the ironer is indicated by the character A.

It will be understood that the terms garment legs and garment sleeves are used in an illustrative sense and do not in any way limit the scope of the claims directed to the elements or combination of elements of the ironing device.

Operation A brief summary of the operation is as follows. Normally the movable boots will be substantially as shown in Fig, l, but when the garment leg or sleeve is slipped over the boots, they will occupy positions substantially as shown in Figs. 3 and 6, and under tension of the spring link or arm I6, the garment leg or sleeve will be stretched taut over the outside boots, and the movable boot I4 will, of course, adapt itself to the taper and size of the garment leg or sleeve. When the foot treadle 3l is depressed, the thrust rod 33 will be raised into contact with the shoulder or Weight 30 of rod 53 and the arm 24 will be moved upward, thereby causing the intermediate boots I5 to shift into contact with the cooperating xed boot I3. When the foot treadle is released, the weight 35 and the weight of the piston will cause the latter to slowly lower Within the dashpot 2l, and the intermediate boots I5 will be slowly moved back into contact with the cooperating boots I. This to and fro movement can be repeated as many times as desired or thought necessary. However, when the foot treadle is rst released, there will be a time lag between the initial movement of the intermediate boots I5 away from the fixed boots I3, caused by the time required for the pin or stop element 29 to move downward into engagement with arm 24.

Under the to and fro movements of the intermediate'boots, those portions of the garment leg or sleeve that are between the boots-I3 and M will be subjected to a real ironing action by the moving contact between the said intermediate boots and the sides of the garment leg or sleeve. In actual practice, it has been found that a very high grade of ironing can be very rapidly produced with this improved ironing device or machine.

The bifurcation of the intermediate boots is a highly important feature chiefly because it permits the links or arms I6 and 20 to move in the said gap where they do not in any way interfere with the movements of the intermediate boots to and from engagement with the outer boots. The boots described are preferably hollow metal castings usually cast from grey iron.

The ironing device of the kind described involving two outer boots and an intermediate boot, the latter being movable in the space between the two outer boots, is considered a broadly new feature and is of very great importance. It will, therefore, -be understood that various modications in the arrangement of the parts of the ironer and the construction thereof may be made within the scope of the invention herein disclosed and claimed.

What l claim is: f

l. An ironing device of the kind described involving a pair of outside laterally spaced ironing boots at least one of which is movable to ward and from the other, an intermediate boot movable laterally in the space between said outer boots, a base support, and independent means supporting said three boots from said base.

2. An ironing device of the kind described involving a pair of outside laterally spaced ironing boots at least one of which is movable toward' and from the other, and an intermediate boot movable laterally in the space between said outer boots, and individual links independently supporting said intermediate and the movable member of said outside boots.

3. The structure defined in claim 1 in which one of said outside boots is yieldingly pressed, the one away from the other, the said intermediate boot being freely movable between the spaced outside boots.

4. An ironing device of the kind described involving a pair of outside laterally spaced ironing boots, at least one of which is movable toward and from the other, and an intermediate boot movable laterally in the space between said outside boots, and in which structure the movable outside boot is supported by a resilient link anchored at its lower end and having its upper end pivotally connected to the movable outside boot at the intermediate portion of the latter.

5. The structure dened in claim l in which said intermediate boot is a bifurcated member, and said intermediate and movable outside boots are independently supported b-y individual links working in the space formed .by the bifurcation of said intermediate boot.

6. An ironing device of the kind described involving a pair of laterally spaced outside ironing boots, one of which is xed and the other of which is movable toward and from said fixed boot, an intermediate boot movable laterally in the space between said outside boots, individual links independently supporting said intermediate and movable outside boots, said movable boot being yieldingly pressed away from said intermediate boot, and means operative on the link that supports said intermediate boot, to move the latter in the space between the outside boots independently of any movement of either of said outside boots.

7. The structure defined in claim 6 in which said movable outside boot is yieldingly pressed away from said intermediate and xed boots.

8. An ironing device of the kind described involving a base support, laterally spaced outside ironing boots, one rigidly supported on said base and the other mounted for lateral movement toward and from said fixed boot, an intermediate ironing boot located between said outside boots and supported from said base, a link of yielding material connected to said base at its lower end and pivotally connected at its upper end to the intermediate portion of said movable outside boot, an independent link pivoted to said base support at its lower end and at its upper end pivotally connected to the intermediate portion of said intermediate boot, said intermediate and movable outside boot being thus supported for lateral movements, the one independently of the other.

9. The structure dened in claim 8 in which said intermediate boot is a bifurcated member and in which the said links are both in the bifurcation of said intermediate boot.

10. The structure defined in claim 8 in which the link that supports said intermediate boot is l provided at its lower end with a projecting arm,

and manually operated means connected to said arm for oscillating the same and moving the intermediate boot laterally in the space between said outside boots.

JOHN H. LEEF. 

